Telephone system



y 1936. R. F. MASSONNEAU 2,639,654

TELEPHONE SYSTEM Filed Ndv. 27, 1954 R. E MASSONNEAU ATTOR EV Patented May 5, 1936 UNITED STATES PATIENT OFFICE TELEPHONE SYSTEM Application November 27, 1934, Serial No. 754,945

7 Claims.

This invention relates to telephone systems and more particularly to measured service systems.

The object of the invention is to provide an economical arrangement for registering the charges for telephone service rendered arsubscriber.

In telephone systems arranged for measured service, it is usual to provide a meter or message register for each station. This meter may be 10 operated once only for a call, may be operated periodically during the time that a talking connection is maintained, or may be continuously operated during that time. vary the charge for an established connection in accordance, with the location of the calling and called lines with respect to each other. According to this invention, a subscribers meter, connected to the sleeve conductor of theline in parallel with the winding of the cut-ofi relay,

comprises a synchronous motor and registering means driven thereby during the time the associated line is connected for conversation on a call for which the subscriber is to be charged.

A feature of the invention is the provision of a plurality of sources of current for continuously operating a subscribers meter in accordance with the location of the calling and called stations with respect to each other during the maintenance of a talking connection.

- Another feature of the invention is an arrangement whereby an alternating current source is connected to a synchronous motor driven register during the time the subscribers line, with which the register is associated, is connected for conversation, the frequency of said source being dependent upon the location of the calling and called lines with respect to each other.

A system arranged in. accordance with this invention is represented schematically in the 40 drawing which forms a part of this specification. The invention is not, however, limited in its application to this particular system but may be applied to all measured service telephone systems.

45 Referring to the drawing, A and B represent subscribers stations, LF represents a line-finder switch, SI represents a first selector switch permanently associated with the line-finder switch LF, T represents the trunk and associated appa- 50 ratus connecting switches LF and SI, R represents an impulse repeater associated with an outgoing trunk ,I'I which is selectable by the operation of switch SI alone or by the operation of switch SI and one or more intermediate se- .1ector switches (not shown), S2 represents an It is also known to incoming selector permanently associated with the trunk I1, and C represents a connector switch which has access to subscribers lines and which is selectable by the operation of switch S2 alone or by the operation of switch S2 and one or 5 more intermediate selector switches.

The subscribers stations A and B are of the usual type employed in automatic telephone systems and include a dial or other impulse sending device for use in obtaining connection with 10 the station of any other subscriber with whom conversation is desired.

Each of the switches LF, SI, S2 and C may be of the well-known Strowger type. For a description of the construction of such a switch 15 and its operation, when employed as a selector or connector, reference may be had to pages 53 to 65, inclusive, of the second edition of Automatic Telephony by Smith and Campbell published in 1921. For a description of a Strowger 20 type switch when used as a line finder, reference may be had to Patent No. 1,799,654 granted April 7, 1931 to R. L. Stokely.

Individual to the subscriber's station A and line I are the usual line and cut-ofi relays 2 25 and 3, the conductors of line I being connected to terminals in the bank of line-finder switch LF and other line finders in the same group and also to terminals in the banks of connector switches (not shown). In place of the usual 30 message register there is provided a meter comprising a synchronous motor similar to the motors used in electric clocks. Such a motor is adapted to operate at various frequencies, for instance from 20 to 60 cycles, although not at maximum efficiency over the whole range.

The charging trunk T which is a modification of that disclosed in Patent No. 1,859,941 granted to R. L. Stokely May 24, 1932, comprises the polarized supervisory relay 30, release (holding) relay I5, zone signal receiving relays I8 and I 6, zone relays 22 and 23, charge delay relays 3| and 33 and the three sources of alternating current GI, G2 and G3 which are provided for use in operating calling subscribers meters. As far as possible the elements of trunk T are given the same reference characters as in the aforementioned Stokely patent. The sources GI, G2 and G3 replace the timing switch M and booster battery 40 which are provided in the aforementioned Stokely patent.

The repeater R is identical with that disclosed in the aforementioned Stokely patent and comprises, in addition to the impulse repeating relay BI and release relay 62, the zone signaling relays 55 61 and 69 and booster battery 10 for use in transmitting a zone signal to the charging trunk through which a connection is extended to the repeater. The zone signal comprises the connection of the booster battery to the sleeve conductor in place of holding ground potential for a predetermined interval of time. The length of this interval depends upon the character of an interrupter (not shown) and is indicative of the particular zone into which the associated trunk 11 extends. The repeaters associated with trunks extending into other zones are similar to the re-- peater R except for the length of the-interval during which booster battery is connected to' Fora detailed descriptionof the operation of the repeater R, reference maybe had to the aforementioned Stokely patent, the same reference characters being usedrfor. like-.- v

the sleeve conductor.

elements. Repeaters may be employed in completing interofiice calls within the local "zone;- where the local charging zone includes one or.

more distant offices in addition to theoflice of. a

calling station, but no zone signal is necessary and. in such a repeater-the zone. signaling apparatus.

is omitted.

Assume that the subscriber at station A originates a call, that the line finderLF! huntsfor the terminals to which. line; is connected and extends the line to the selector SI, andthat the selector SI respondsto the dialingaof thefirst digit of the numberof the subscribersstation with which connection is desired. It the. called station is in an oflice outside of the: local. zone,

the selected set-of terminals inthelbankof se-.-

lector SI are connectedv to an outgoing. repeater such as R, the connection. from the calling line. being extended through brushes-H and I2 of line finder LF', the windings ofrelay 30, brushes -.5|.:

and: 52 of selector SI to the windings; of impulse,

relay 6| of. the repeater. Being: polarized; relay 30 does not operate at this time but relay6| operates in series with the:line and closes a. cir

cuit for operating release relay62.:; Relay 62: connects holding ground potential. through: the back manner.

brush |3 of line finder LE to hold the line: finder LF and cut-ofi relay 3 in usual manner. Coil49 has. a high impedance but. is of low resistance-so that the holding and guarding potential will be.

satisfactory. The impulse relay -6-|-=and release relay B2 close-a bridge acrossthe conductors. of trunk 1-1 and the impulses'createdby the dialing or the succeeding digits of'the called subscribers number are repeated byrelay 61 to' control: theoperatiorrof the incoming selector S2,.intermedi-- ate selectors, if any, and a' connector C to estaba' lish connection with the called-line. 1

As soon as relay 6| receives the first impulse to be repeated, relays 61 and 69 are operated-as set forth in detail in the aforementioned Stokely patent to connect booster battery 10 to the sleeve conductor, through brush 53' of selector SI, to the winding of releaserelay -|5.- and-left winding of relay l6. Relay 1.5 is thereby held operated and marginal relay I6 is energized sufficiently to cause its operation.. In operating, relay l6 con.-

nects its right winding in parallel with the winding of relay l8 to interrupter I'I. Interrupter I1 is arranged to connect its brush to ground for two-tenths of a second out of every four-tenths of a second. The operation of relay l8, as soon as the brush of interrupter I1 is connected to ground, closes a circuit for operating zone relay 22. Relay 22 locks through its left Winding and front contact over conductor H! to ground at the right front contact of'release relay l5: As soon as the 10 brush of interrupter I1 is again disconnected from ground, relay l8 releases and if the booster batteryiis no. longer connected to brush 53, relay 5 releases. In this case the operation of zone relay 22'iandrnon-operation of relay 23, indicates a call to zone 2. If the charging trunk is connected to a repeater-which is associated with a trunk to zone 3,, booster battery remains connected to sleeve conductor 50 and relay I6 is held operated,

when-relay l8 releases, long enough to cause a second operationof relay. l8. The second operation of relay |8=causes the operation of zone relay- 23; and: relay- 23- locks throughits left. winding to ground at relay |-5,

On a local call, thatais one not-involving the. 25

use or a repeater, the release relay 5 of trunk=3Il is operated by the. holding ground connected. to brush 53, this ground connection being. under. the... controlofthe connector switch as soon asthe connection is extended toa connectorn. Of course,

nooperation of the zone relays is. efiected. on a. local call or on a call involving a repeater if the. called line is-in thesamezone as the calling line..

Connection having been established between.-

the calling and calledlines and the called linebe-z ingidle, ringing currentistransmitted over the... lineto signal the called station in usual manner Uponremoval. of the receiver at the-calledstationthe ringing circuit is openedand the talking con.-..

nectionestablished, whereupon the connector ef- .0..

fects the usual reversal. ofcurrent over the. cone. ductorsof thetrunk 11 so asto cause the inter.- J changing-of the connectionsbetween. the windings. of impulse: relay. 6| of. repeater R and the conductors of trunk T and line. sothatthe.

current is also reversed-through the windings of thepolarized supervisory relay 30 to cause. its. operation. vOna local call, the. reversal of. cur.- rent effected by the. connector switch. directly causes the operation of relay 30. The brush of '50 1 interrupter 32 isconnected tov ground for two sec.- ondsout of every four so that the left winding of. relay 3| is energized not later than twoseconds. after: relay30 operates. Relay 3| is thereby'partially operated. so asto close .its right front con.-

tact; and, as soonv as thebrush of. interrupter 32 is again disconnected from ground, relay 3| is. completely operated by current throughits two windings and right from contact in series. When ground. is next connected. to thebrush of interrupter; 32, relay 33 is operated and relay .33 looks;- through its inner. 1eft;front contact to groundlat. relay |5.- Relayv 33closes a locking circuit. through. the winding of relay 3| which is independentiof the continued operation of. relay 3!], and...closes a meter operating circuit which .is maintained untilv the connection is released by the callingv subscriber. .If the called station is in zone 1, thatis thesamezone as the calling station,.nei--- therof the zone relays 22 and 23 would have been 7.0

operated and. the. meter operating circuit.-. is traced from ground through. alternating current. source G|,. left back contact of zone relay 22,1 outer. left frontcontact. of relay 33, left front.

contact of relay l5, over. the sleeve conductor. and 7.5

brush I 3 of line finder LF, conductor 5, winding of meter 4 and through condenser 6 to ground. The meter 4 is thereby operated by 20 cycle alternating current as long as the connection is maintained. If zone relay 22 is operated, the called station being in zone 2, the metering circuit is traced from ground through alternating current source G2, left back contact of relay 23, outer left front contact of relay 22, and the winding of meter 4, the meter being operated by 40 cycle alternating current. If zone relay 23 is operated, the called station being in zone 3, the metering circuit is traced from ground through alternating current source G3, the outer left front contacts of relays 23 and 22 and the winding of the meter 4, the meter being operated by 60 cycle altemating current. Thus the meter 4 is operated as long as a talking connection is established at a rate dependent upon the relative location of the calling and called stations.

When the receiver is replaced at station A to release the connection the impulse relay 6| of repeater R releases, if the connection includes a repeater. The release of relay 6|, causes the release of relay 62 and opens the bridge across the conductors of trunk 11 to release the line relay of the connector switch, the switches in the terminating oflice being thereupon restored to normal in usual manner. The release of relay 62 disconnects holding the ground potential from the sleeve conductor thereby causing the release of relay [5 of trunk T and the return of selector SI to normal. The release of relay 15 opens the metering circuit, causes the release of cut-01f relay 3 and the line finder LF' is restored to normal in usual manner.

On a local call the removal of the holding ground potential from. the sleeve conductor at the connector switch causes the release of relay IS, the selector and connector switches being restored to normal in usual manner. The release of relay l 5 opens the metering circuit and causes the return of the line-finder switch to normal.

What is claimed is: 1. In a telephone system, subscribers stations, means for establishing a talking connection between a calling and a called station, a meter associated with one of said stations for continuous operation during the time said connection is maintained, and means for operating said meter at a rate dependent upon the relative location of said calling and called stations.

2. In a telephone system, subscribers lines, means for connecting a calling one of said lines with any other line, a service meter associated with said calling line, said meter comprising an alternating current synchronous motor, a plurality of sources of alternating current, each source being of a difierent frequency, and means for connecting a desired one of said sources to operate said meter.

3. In a multi-zone telephone system, subscribers lines in each of said zones, means for establishing a connection between a calling one of said lines and any other line, a service meter for said calling line, said meter comprising an alternating current synchronous motor, a plurality of sources of alternating current, each source being of a different frequency, and selective means for connecting to said meter that one of said sources which is effective to operate said meter at the rate required for a call to the particular zone within which the called line is located.

4. In a. multi-oflice multi-zone telephone system, a subscribers line in one office, a service meter comprising a synchronous motor for said line, subscribers lines in other ofiices, means including a charging trunk and automatic switches for completing both local and inter-oflice calls originating over said line, trunks from said one office to each of said other oflices, said trunks being connected to terminals in the banks of one of said switches, means in said charging trunk operative upon extension of said line to one of said interoflice trunks for registering the zone into which the trunk extends, sources of alternating current of different frequencies, and means responsive to the answer of the called subscriber for connecting one of said sources in series with said meter, the particular source thus connected being controlled by said zone register means.

5. In a telephone system, a subscribers line, a line relay, a line cut-01f relay, a charging trunk, means responsive to the operation of said line relay for connecting said charging trunk and line and for connecting said cut-off relay to a conductor of said charging trunk, means in said charging trunk responsive to the connection of said line and trunk for connecting a holding potential to said conductor to operate the cut-ofi relay, a' condenser and a service meter for said line connected in series to said conductor of the charging trunk, a source of alternating current, and means in said charging trunk for connecting said source of alternating current to said conductor to operate said meter without aifecting the operation of said cut-off relay.

6. In a telephone system, subscribers lines,

' means for establishing a talking connection between .a calling one 'of said lines and a called line, a control conductor associated with the talking conductors of said calling line, a synchronous motor driven meter connected to said control conductor, a source of alternating current for operating said meter, and means for connecting said source of said control conductor.

7. In a telephone system, subscribers lines, means for establishing a talking connection between a calling one of said lines and a called line, a control conductor associated with the talking conductors of said calling line, a synchronous motor driven meter connected to said control conductor, sources of alternating current of different frequencies, and means for connecting one of said sources to said control conductor in response to the answer of the called subscriber.

ROBERT F. MASSONNEAU- 

